We are always looking for new artistic techniques to try out…whether it’s a different method, or different materials. And after this past week…Sandpaper Art just might be our new favorite! We created several different masterpieces utilizing oil pastels and chalk. The sandpaper certainly provides a unique textural element, and the black sandpaper that we used made the oil pastel and chalk colors really pop!
When I came across @playhouseartla photo of oil pastels on black sandpaper (over on Instagram), I immediately rushed to acquire the necessary supplies. The simple combination of these two products results in bold, mesmerizing art pieces!
While we were creating with our oil pastels, our little nugget suggested that we try using some sidewalk chalk (that had been left sitting out after an outdoor coloring spree a few days prior). Why not? The chalk itself was beautiful on the black sandpaper, but we found that wetting the chalk with a bit of water first, made it even more magical.
Oil Pastels & Black Sandpaper Art
The only supplies that you need to create your very own oil pastel sandpaper art are as follows: black sandpaper (I purchased this 10-sheet pack of black sandpaper), and oil pastels (we have this Crayola 28-piece set, but I’m dying to try this set of Crayola Neon Oil Pastels, as well). That’s it…the only thing left to do is put oil pastel to sandpaper, and let the creative juices flow.
Our little nugget loved this invitation to create. She practiced drawing various shapes and squiggles. As for me…it was requested (i.e. required) that I color Hearts of Te Fiti (yes, we are still very obsessed with Moana). π I was happy to oblige, and I absolutely love how it turned out! The oil pastel and sandpaper combo was definitely my favorite, and I can’t wait to try my hand at a few more creative pieces.
Chalk & Black Sandpaper Art
While I enjoyed using the oil pastels the most, our little nugget loved the chalk and sandpaper combo! We utilized a few pieces of the same black sandpaper, and some of our favorite colors of sidewalk chalk (we absolutely love this Crayola 72-piece set). As I mentioned before, we found that wetting the chalk just a bit, made the results that much more magnificent…so, I suggest having a small cup of water on hand, as well.
This time I was left to my own devices, so I went with a simple stripes motif. And our little nugget happily filled her entire sheet of sandpaper with vibrant colors.
I can’t wait to take our sandpaper art exploration even further. I want to test out different sandpaper grit levels (the sandpaper we used here was 800 grit and fairly smooth). I’m interested to find out what happens when the texture becomes a bit rougher. And I’m also pondering the use of different methods/materials to color and decorate our sandpaper.
Have you tried sandpaper art yet? What type of paper do you prefer to use? Have you tried any other techniques besides chalk and oil pastels? I would love to hear all about it in the comments below.
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